Turkey’s foreign ministry’s spokesman Oncu Keceli on Monday called on the European Commission’s newly appointed envoy for the Cyprus problem Raffaele Fitto to “make efforts toward the European Union changing” its “partisan stance” on Cyprus.

He said that Turkey also expects Fitto and the EU to “realise that a solution to the Cyprus issue can only be achieved through negotiations conducted between two sovereign and equal states based on the realities on the island”.

“We regard the European Commission’s decision to appoint a new Cyprus envoy as an internal matter for the European Union, just as we have with similar appointments in the past,” he said.

He added that “we once again wish to issue a reminder that the EU lost its impartiality in the context of the Cyprus issue by admitting the Greek Cypriot side as an EU member despite its rejection of the UN’s comprehensive settlement plan in 2004”.

“Indeed, we observe that the EU institutions’ entirely biased approach, particularly in the European Parliament, regarding the Cyprus issue, has continued to solidify in recent times,” he said, with the parliament having last week adopted a resolution condemning Turkey for sexual violence committed on the island in 1974.

It is exceedingly unlikely that Fitto’s appointment will bring about a gear change in the EU’s policy on Cyprus, given that during his time as a member of the EU’s college of commissioners so far, he has not deviated from it in his public remarks.

In November last year, for example, he told the European Parliament that “the EU has always been clear: we recognise only the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law”, and that “the EU has also repeatedly stated that the only solution for Cyprus is the reunification of the island”.

Despite belonging to the European Conservatives and Reformists’ group, the same European grouping as Elam, he did offer praise for Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman at the time, saying that “the change in leadership in the Turkish Cypriot community can open a new window of opportunity to move forward”.

He added that “beyond diplomatic engagement, the Commission is also continuing its work to create the conditions for future reunification on the ground”, and that “we aim, through our work, to foster engagement, cooperation and inclusion between both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities”.

November’s address was given in his capacity as European cohesion commissioner, a position which he will continue to hold following his appointment as envoy.